Department of Surgery partners with College of Charleston for immersive summer internship program

College of Charleston honors students considering careers in surgery and/or academic medicine now have a new MUSC summer internship program available to them. The PASS (Pipeline for Aspiring Surgical Scientists) summer internship program will provide three honors interns with an immersive 10-week experience focused on laboratory and clinical research, all under the mentorship of Department of Surgery faculty.

The PASS program was the brainchild of David B. Adams, M.D., Distinguished University Professor of Surgery at MUSC and the current vice chair of the College of Charleston Honors College advisory board. Adams set in motion the collaboration between the Honors College and MUSC Department of Surgery faculty members, including biomedical engineer MichaelYost, Ph.D., vice chair of Research, and transplant surgeon Satish Nadig, M.D. Ph.D., associate vice chair of Research, both of whom will serve as mentors for the program.

“Translational scientists make up the backbone of innovation in the surgical specialties,” Nadig said. “The Department of Surgery at MUSC is pleased and honored to partner with the College of Charleston’s Honors College to give our next generation leaders an opportunity to learn and make an impact in the field of surgical science.”

As part of the inaugural cohort, Honors College sophomores Isabel Muehleman, Kirsten Snyder and Caitlin Watts will spend their summer working alongside faculty mentors in their respective research labs. Some of the research opportunities include surgical oncology, regenerative medicine and transplant immunology.

“I could not be more excited about getting to build my training and experience at MUSC, where so many life-changing medical research projects are being undertaken each year,” Watts said.

The program is not only an ideal opportunity for aspiring surgeons but also for students considering a career as medical scientists.

“For those thinking about pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. or M.D./MS graduate program, this is a great chance to gain practical experience,” said Honors College Dean Beth Meyer-Bernstein. She said opportunities like this for undergraduate students are extremely rare. “This really has the potential to serve as a life-altering springboard for their future.”

Adams sees this program as a natural fit between what have previously been hidden gems: the College of Charleston’s Honors Program and the MUSC Department of Surgery. “Both programs have been uncovered as top-tier programs in the country, and the symbiosis of aligning the two will promote the excellence of each program as it challenges and inspires some of the best and brightest undergraduate students anywhere,” he said.

As part of the program, all three students will each receive a $3,600 stipend to help to support their work at MUSC. The funding is provided through the College of Charleston Honors Summer Enrichment Program. Following the internship, the three PASS students will also present on their work at the 2021 MUSC Research Day in November.

The Honors College and Department of Surgery faculty hope that this summer’s program will serve as a steppingstone to a long-lasting relationship that enriches students and faculty alike.

Article written by Nick Plasmati, M.F.A. Assistant Director of Marketing and Academic Programs College of Charleston Honors College.